Prior to joining 500 Startups, Ashraf Sinclair has invested in Indonesian startups such as Konsaato

British-Malaysian actor Ashraf Sinclair, who has been working and residing in Indonesia, today made his first public appearance as Venture Partner at 500 Startups.

Sinclair spoke at a panel discussion at the grand launching of Rework’s new coworking space in South Jakarta.

“I have known Khailee [Ng, 500 Startups Managing Partner] since long ago, and he had helped introduced me to several startups. He said, ‘This is good for you’, and I think it does make sense to invest, not only funding, but also influence and marketing [capabilities]. There’s an added value in that,” he explained how he first joined the venture capital firm.

“He then asked me to join 500 Startups, as he said ‘We can really use your influence in the community, industry, and also to introduce the concept of this new work to every level [of the society].’ So it’s all about collaboration and the message we can send out,” he added.

He stated that he has begun working with the venture capital firm since early 2017.

At the event, Sinclair spoke about the importance of collaboration in the digital era and how he manages work-life balance as an actor and an investor.

Other speakers at the panel discussion were Ismaya Group Founder Christian Rijanto, Octovate Group CEO Ben Soebiakto, and Endeavor Managing Director Sati Rasuanto.

Sinclair has been starring in several films and hosting TV programmes in both Malaysia and Indonesia; his showbiz career began in 2004. The actor relocated to Indonesia after his marriage with Indonesian singer Bunga Citra Lestari in 2008.

The appointment was not Sinclair’s first foray into startup investment. In May 2016, together with his wife Bunga Citra Lestari, he took part in a pre-seed investment in concert crowdfunding platform Konsaato. The round was led by Jakarta-based Grupara Inc.

He had also invested in restaurant chain TGIF Indonesia.

e27 has reached out to 500 Startups to find out more details about the appointment and their plan for the Indonesian startup ecosystem.